Defection is now the name of the game in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), whose reverse in fortunes and influence piled up for 16 years is seeing its members, elected and unelected, jumping ship to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Many PDP members, aggrieved by internal dictatorship, had begun leaving in 2013. In 2014, House of Representatives Speaker, Aminu Tambuwal, made a high profile defection to the APC which dominated media headlines.
The PDP did not recover from its altercation with Tambuwal before the federal election on March 28 that swept the party out of power in Abuja, now the domain of the APC which clinched the Villa.
Defections from the PDP have escalated since Muhammadu Buhari of the APC won the Presidency. There are only a few bigwigs left in the PDP, raising fears of Nigeria slipping into a one-party state under the APC.
In other parts of the world, particularly in Europe and America, people join political parties based on ideology – right wing, centre, or left. Politicians hardly defect. When they do, it is often to become an independent or form a new party. They do not join an existing party.
But in Nigeria, politicians revel in their lack of principles. They look for where food in ready; and defect to and fro, as the wind blows.
Below are some of the defections for the APC since it coasted home to federal power two weeks ago.
Adamawa
Former Deputy Senate Majority Leader, Jonathan Zwingina; former External Affairs Minister, Idi Hong, and two serving Senators, Bello Tukur and Ahmed Barata, have left the PDP for the APC.
They announced their defection at a press conference in Yola on Wednesday, April 8.
Zwingina, who spoke on behalf of the defectors, said they decided to pitch their tent with the APC to support its governorship candidate, Bindow Jibrilla.
“We are positive of the change going on now in the country; we believe in the candidacy of Bindow,” he said.
But Zwingina had on February 24 warned against the election of Buhari, saying: “You know Buhari, he will send us to jail for between 200 and 300 years and it is the lucky ones among us that will get 50 years.
“Buhari is determined to send people to jail, and even APC governors are not comfortable with him. That’s why many of them are not following his campaign team.”
In his reaction in Kaduna, Senator-elect, Shehu Sani, a human rights activist, urged the APC to be wary of defectors.
“Pro establishment bourgeoisie, bureaucrats, market-day politicians and career loyalists of every government in power are speedily ‘porting’ from the fallen GEJ [Goodluck Ebele Jonathan] to our President-elect, GMB [General Muhammadu Buhari].
“Our new president must learn to differentiate between loyalists to the king and loyalists to the crown,” he warned.
Jigawa
Deputy Governor, Ahmed Mahmoud, who was expelled from the PDP for alleged anti-party activities, found shelter in the APC on Monday, April 6.
Gombe
State Assembly Majority Leader, Mamman Alkali, was among hundreds of PDP members who defected to the APC on April 6.
Benue
One of the shocking defectors to the APC is Lawrence Onoja, a hitherto staunch supporter of Jonathan.
Others include former PDP governorship aspirant, Mathias Oyigeya; as well as Agbo Oga, former Chief of Staff to Senate President, David Mark; former state PDP Chairman, Lawrence Ugbo; and former state PDP executive council member, Peter Ochijele.
Kwara
Senator Gbemisola Saraki (former PDP governorship candidate) left the party for the APC.
She was followed by state PDP Youth Leader, Segun Olawoyin.
Abia
Former Governor Orji Uzor Kalu’s mother, Eunice (leader of the Reality Organisation in the South East), left the PDP for the APC on Tuesday, April 7.
She defected with her sons, Nnanna, former member of the House of Representatives; and Mascot, former Chief of Staff to Governor Theodore Orji.
Edo
Governor Adams Oshiomhole is a member of the APC, and by that fact, the party controls the state. But the APC performed badly in the federal vote on March 28.
The PDP won two of the three Senate slots (Edo Central and South), the APC won one (Edo North), Oshiomhole’s political base.
Curiously, the major players who ensured the failure of the APC are now defecting to the party with their supporters. Three defections stand out.
Airhiavbere
The most shocking is that of Charles Airhiavbere, PDP governorship candidate in 2012, and one of the Coordinators of the Jonathan Campaign in the election on March 28, 2015.
Airhiavbere said during his defection: “I believe today, which is also an Easter Sunday, is the day the Lord has made and set aside for the people of Edo State to have sustained peace and political progress.
“That I was the governorship candidate of the PDP in 2012 election and its aftermath is history. I have decided to join the team of change that has come to the nation in the last election of the March 28, 2015, so that Edo State will continue to enjoy the benefits of the party at the centre.
“Any politician who means well for this state will ground their arms of hate and join the change train of the APC government ably led by … Oshiomhole.
“I know for sure that with the APC at the national and the state [levels], there will be rapid development and all the campaign promises will be delivered to our dear state that is yearning for rapid development.
“Kudos to all APC members for your resilience and victory at the last election. We will do it again in the state April 11, 2015 election.”
Asked why he did not defect before the presidential election, Airhiavbere said: “The PDP didn’t give me any money. My drive and passion for Jonathan is from my personal efforts. I will ensure that Edo State remains in the mainstream.
“Money has never motivated me. I will always be loyal to the centre. We delivered to the PDP in Edo South; we will deliver to the APC in the April 11 state elections.”
Osunbor
Former Governor Oserheimen Osunbor, a major pillar of the PDP in Edo Central, ruled for 18 months before Oshiomhole became Governor through a court judgment.
Osunbor played a major role in the victory of the PDP on March 28. But on Tuesday, April 7, he defected to the APC.
“I will be working with a respected professor of law like you and many of your supporters. We thank God for what he has used us to achieve,” Oshiomhole said when he received Osunbo and his supporters in Iruekpen.
“I appeal to our people to vote for our APC House of Assembly candidates because they will help me to develop our state rapidly, and with the APC government at the top, the sky is our limit.”
Arigbe-Osula
Other prominent PDP members who defected to the APC are former House of Representatives Deputy Minority Leader, Emmanuel Arigbe-Osula (co-founder of Friends of Goodluck Jonathan Support Group); and former Provost Marshal of the Nigerian Army, Idada Ikponmwen.
Ikponmwen
Ikponmwen said at his defection ceremony in Benin: “I am exceedingly happy that our people and the entire nation have overwhelmingly voted for the man of the moment, a perpendicular person, a leader of proven character, a courageous and detribalised man with zero tolerance for corruption, … Buhari, to lead this nation.
“I urged all Nigerians and particularly our people of Edo State to give their votes en-masse at the un-concluded Edo South Senatorial and House of Assembly elections on April 11, 2015 to APC candidates in order to support the ongoing political revolution in the country.”
Other PDP members said to be planning to leave for the APC include former PDP governorship aspirant, Kenneth Imansuagbon; former External Affairs Minister, Tom Ikimi; Edo South Coordinator of the Jonathan Campaign; Osagie Ize-Iyamu; and House of Representatives member-elect, Omosede Igbinedion.
However, state PDP Chairman, Dan Orbih, dismissed the defections and rumours of defections. “It is non-issue. Those who defected have no political value,” he said.
Another state PDP chieftain, who pleaded anonymity, described the defectors as bread and butter politicians.
